Why Noddy the heron cannot stay in Shropshire
A rare heron that decided to make Shrewsbury its home will not be allowed to stay in the country.
Noddy, an American black crowned night heron, will spend the next month in quarantine before travelling to mainland Europe.
Natural England said the rare bird cannot be released into the wild in this country as it is not used to the environment.
Rescue manager, Fran Hill, said Noddy's final destination is not yet known but it is likely he will head to a zoo or a private collection.
She said: "Once he was settled and assessed, my first port of call was someone who’s knowledge on legislation was second to none.
"He confirmed to me under schedule nine of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, it was unlikely he could ever be released in this country.
"Once confirmed he was an American black crowned night heron, I was told by Natural England that he could not be released in this country and would have to go to a zoo."
Staff at the centre in Much Wenlock reluctantly called a number of zoos in the UK for advice and help but were told nowhere would take him because it is not known where he came from.
It is thought he might have been blown off course during his travels, but it has never been confirmed.
Ms Hill added: "Reporting back to Natural England that a zoo wasn’t possible, an unspeakable fate was mentioned. But a glimmer of light came when we were pointed in the direction of a specialist in wildlife services."
"He will spend a month at a wildlife export facility where he will undergo health checks to assure him fit to travel abroad.
Private collector
"His final destination isn’t known at this time but will probably be in Europe. I'm sure he will welcome a warmer climate and some company. The preference in his diet always pointed to him being a captive bred bird, so it’s likely he will go to a private collector or a specialist zoo.
"There will be mixed emotions from supporters of Noddy but red tape limited his choices to two, and I hope you agree this was the only choice there was."
